Photo courtesy of Kasetsart University (KU)
The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and Kasetsart University (KU) in Thailand have officially signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to launch the KU–SEARCA Joint Graduate Scholarship Program through the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Faculty of Economics at KU. The agreement strengthens their shared commitment to cultivating highly trained professionals in agricultural and resource economics across Southeast Asia.
The partnership, represented by Dr. Mercedita A. Sombilla, SEARCA Center Director, and Dr. Damrong Sripraram, Acting President of KU, establishes a three-year collaborative scholarship program beginning in Academic Year 2026/2027 and running through AY 2028/2029. Under the agreement, two Southeast Asian nationals will be awarded scholarships to pursue a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics at KU. This initiative aims to bolster the capacities of individuals and their home institutions, contributing to sustainable agricultural and rural development as well as evidence-based policy advancement. By focusing on higher education and leadership, the agreement directly articulates SEARCA's focus on people under its 12th Five-Year Development Plan, which prioritizes the empowerment of agricultural stakeholders as the primary catalysts for regional transformation. Both institutions will jointly provide financial support for the scholars throughout the program.
KU and SEARCA have had a long-standing partnership under the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) established by SEARCA in 1989. KU continues to serve as lead for the UC's second collaborative project funded by the ERASMUS+ program under its Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) component.
While SEARCA and KU have collaborated on various initiatives over the years, this KU-SEARCA Joint Graduate Scholarship Program is the first partnership between the two institutions specifically for joint scholarship.
The signing of the new MOA for a joint KU-SEARCA scholarship solidifies the commitment of both institutions to advancing agricultural education and research in Southeast Asia.
To learn more about the Agricultural and Resource Economics Program and its application process, please visit the KU website at https://are.eco.ku.ac.th/en/doctoral-degree